Attic Inscriptions Online

Sacrificial calendar of Erchia

Α
Metageitnion,
on the twelfth,
for Apollo
Lykeios, in the city,
(5) a sheep, no taking away (ou phora), 12 dr.;
- on the twentieth (dekatei proterai),
for Hera Thelchinia,
on the hill (em pagōi) at Erchia, a lamb (arna),
(10) all black,
no taking away (ou phora), 7 dr.;
- Boedromion,
on the twenty-seventh (tetradi phthinontos),
for the Nymphs,
(15) on the hill at Erchia,
a sheep, 10 dr.;
- Pyanopsion,
on the fourteenth,
for the heroines
(20) in the hollow (en aulōni) at Erchia,
a sheep, no taking away (ou phora),
for the priestess the skin, 10 dr.;
- Gamelion,
on the seventh,
(25) for Kourotrophos,
in the Delphinion
at Erchia, a piglet, 3 dr.;
- for Apollo Delphinios,
at Erchia,
(30) a sheep, 12 dr.;
- on the eighth,
for Apollo
Apotropaios,
at Erchia(35) towards Paiania,
a goat, 12 dr.;
- Anthesterion,
at the Diasia,
in the city (en astei) at Agrai,
(40) for Zeus Meilichios,
a sheep, wineless (nēphalios) up until (the roasting of) the innards,
12 dr.;
- Elaphebolion,
(45) on the sixteenth,
for Semele, at
the same altar,[2] a goat,
to be handed over to the women,
(50) for the priestess the skin,
no taking away (ou phora), 10 dr.;
- Thargelion,
on the fourth,
for Leto, at the
(55) Pythion at Erchia,
a goat, 10 dr.;
- Skirophorion,
on the third,
for Kourotrophos,
(60) on the acropolis (em polei) at Erchia, a piglet, 3 dr.;
- for Athena Polias,
on the acropolis
at Erchia, a sheep
(65) instead of a bovine (antibous), 10 dr.;
total
[111 dr.]

Β
Metageitnion,
on the twelfth,
at the Eleusinion
in the city, for Demeter,
(5) a sheep, 10 dr.;
- on the sixteenth,
for Kourotrophos,
in Hekate’s (sanctuary)
at Erchia, a piglet,
(10) 3 dr.;
- for Artemis Hekate,
at Erchia,
a goat, 10 dr.;
- Boedromion,
(15) on the fourth,
for Basile,
at Erchia, a ewe-lamb (amnē),
white, burnt whole (holokautos),
wineless (nēphalios),
(20) 7 dr.;
- on the twenty-seventh (tetradi phthinontos) on the hill
at Erchia,
for Acheloos,
(25) a sheep, 12 dr.;
- Gamelion
on the ninth,
at the Erosouria (?),
on the acropolis
(30) at Erchia,
for Athena, a ewe-lamb, 7 dr.;
- on the twenty-
seventh (tetradi phthinontos),
for Kourotrophos, in
(35) Hera’s (sanctuary) at Erchia,
a piglet, 3 dr.;
- for Hera, at Erchia,
a sheep, for the priestess
the skin, 10 dr.;
(40) - Mounichion,
on the fourth,
for the Herakleidai,
a sheep,
no taking away (ou phora),[3] at Erchia, 12 dr.;
(45) - Thargelion
on the fourth,
for Apollo Pythios,
at Erchia,
a goat, to be handed over
(50) to the Pythaistai,
12 dr.;
- for Apollo Paion,
on the hill
at Erchia, a sheep, 12 dr.;
(55) - Skirophorion,
on the third,
for Aglauros,
on the acropolis
at Erchia, a sheep, no taking away (ou phora),[3] 10 dr.;
(60) - total
108 dr.

Γ
Hekatombaion,
on the twenty-
first (dekatei husterai),
for Kourotrophos, at
(5) Sotidai at Erchia,
a piglet, no taking away (ou phora),
3 dr.;
- for Artemis at
Sotidai at Erchia,
(10) a goat, no taking away (ou phora),
the skin to be consecrated,
10 dr.;
- Metageitnion,
on the twelfth,
(15) for Zeus Polieus,
on the acropolis
in the city, a sheep,
no taking away (ou phora), 12 dr.;
- on the twenty-fifth (hektei phthinontos),
(20) for Zeus Epopetes,
on the hill
at Erchia,
a piglet, burnt whole (holokautos),
wineless (nēphalios),
(25) 3 dr.;
- Boedromion,
on the twenty-seventh (tetradi phthinontos),
for Alochos,
on the hill
(30) at Erchia, a sheep, 10 dr.;
- Gamelion,
on the eighth,
for Apollo
Apotropaios,
(35) at Erchia, a goat,
to be handed over to the Pythaistai,
12 dr.;
- on the twenty-seventh (tetradi phthinontos),
for Zeus
(40) Teleios,
in Hera’s (sanctuary)
at Erchia, a sheep, 12 dr.;
- Anthesterion,
on the second,
(45) for Dionysos, at Erchia,
a kid (eriphos), very young (proptorthi(os)),
5 dr.;
- Mounichion,
on the twentieth (dekatei proterai),
(50) for Leukaspis,
at Erchia,
a sheep, wineless (nēphalios),
no taking away (ou phora), 12 dr.;
- Thargelion,
(55) on the fourth,
for Zeus, on
the hill at Erchia,
a sheep, 12 dr.;
- Skirophorion,
(60) on the third,
for Zeus
Polieus, on the acropolis
at Erchia, a sheep,
no taking away (ou phora), 12 dr.;
(65) - on the sixteenth,
. . .

Δ
Hekatombaion,
on the twenty-
first (dekatei husterai),
for Kourotrophos, on
(5) the peak (epi to akro) at Erchia,
a piglet, no taking away (ou phora),
3 dr.;
- for Artemis on
the peak at Erchia,
(10) a goat, no taking away (ou phora),
the skin to be consecrated,
10 dr.;
- Metageitnion,
on the twelfth;
(15) for Athena Polias,
on the acropolis
in the city, a sheep, 10 dr.;
- Boedromion,
on the fifth,
(20) for Epops,
at Erchia, a piglet,
burnt whole (holokautos),
wineless (nēphali(os)), 3 dr.;
- on the twenty-seventh (tetradi phthinontos),
(25) for Hermes,
on the hill at Erchia,
a sheep, 12 dr.;
- Gamelion,
on the twenty-seventh (tetradi phthinontos)(30) for Poseidon,
in Hera’s (sanctuary)
at Erchia, a sheep, 12 dr.;
- Elaphebolion,
on the sixteenth,
(35) for Dionysos,
at Erchia, a goat,
to be handed over to the women,
no taking away (ou phora),
for the priestess
(40) the skin, 12 dr.;
- Mounichion,
on the twenty-first (dekatei husterai),
for the Tritopatreis,
at Erchia,
(45) a sheep, wineless (nēphalios),
no taking away (ou phora), 12 dr.;
- Thargelion,
on the fourth,
for the Anakes,
(50) at Erchia,
a sheep, 12 dr.;
- on the nineteenth,
for Menedeios,
at Erchia,
(55) a sheep, no taking away, 12 dr.;
- Skirophorion,
on the third,
for Poseidon,
on the acropolis
(60) at Erchia, a sheep, 12 dr.;
total
110 dr.

Ε
Metageitnion,
on the nine-
teenth,
for the heroines at
(5) the rush-bed (epi schoinōi) at Erchia, a sheep,
no taking away (ou phora),
for the priestess the skin, 10 dr.;
- Boedromion,
(10) on the fifth,
at Erchia,
for Epops,
a piglet, burnt whole (holokautos),
wineless (nēphalios),
(15) 3 dr.;
- on the twenty-seventh (tetradi phthinontos),
for Earth (Gēi),
on the hill
at Erchia, a sheep,
(20) pregnant, no
taking away (ou phora), 10 dr.;
- Posideon,
on the sixteenth,
for Zeus, on the
(25) rock or rocky place (em petrēi) at Erchia,
a sheep, no
taking away (ou phora), 12 dr.;
- for Zeus Horios,
at Erchia, a piglet,
(30) no taking away (ou phora), 3 dr.;
- Gamelion,
on the seventh,
for Apollo
Lykeios,
(35) at Erchia,
a sheep, to be handed over
to the Pythaistai,
no taking away (ou phora),[3] 12 dr.;
- on the eighth,
(40) for Apollo
Nymphegetes,
at Erchia,
a goat, 12 dr.;
- for the Nymphs, at
(45) the same
altar, a goat, 10 dr.;
- Thargelion,
on the fourth,
for Hermes,
(50) in the agora
at Erchia,
a ram, let the
herald make the
sacrifice to him
(55) and receive
the perquisites (gera) just like
the demarch, 10 dr.;
- on the sixteenth,
(60) for Zeus Epakrios,
on Hymettos, a lamb (arēn),
wineless (nēphalios), no
taking away (ou phora), [7 dr.];
- Skirophorion,
. . .

[1] This is the sacrificial calendar of the medium-sized Attic deme, Erchia, which sent 6 or 7 men to sit on the Council of 500 in the fourth century BC, and therefore probably had of the order of 400 adult male members at that period. It is one of a number of extant Attic sacrificial calendars. For links to other examples see IG I3 232 with n. 1. For a helpful commentary see CGRN 52. Rather than cover the same ground on AIO, we limit our notes below largely to supplementary points. The calendar is divided into five columns of offerings the cost of which is approximately equal (ca. 110 dr. per column, ca. 550 dr. overall). This presumably reflects the division of the costs of the programme among five individuals or (more likely in the 4th cent. democracy) groups of contributors, or perhaps some more complex arrangement (e.g. parcels of loans of capital in equal amounts, cf. the arrangements for Rhamnous implied by I Rham. 182, or as Papazarkadas suggests, parcels of land leases). The reference at E52-58 to the herald receiving the perquisites "just like the demarch" seems to imply that the demarch presides over (most?) of the other sacrifices listed (but note that some involved priestesses). The significance of the heading, "Greater Demarchy", however, is obscure. In addition to the possibilities noted by CGRN, R. Parker, ap. D. Whitehead, Ancient World 14, 1986, 57-64, attractively supported the idea (for which see also J. D. Mikalson, "Religion in the Attic Demes", AJP 98, 1977, 424-35), that "demarchy" might refer to the period of office of a demarch, i.e. one year, and this one was "greater" in that it contained more sacrifices than the "lesser demarchy", with which it alternated in sequence. Lambert, ZPE 130, 2000, 75-80, discusses the calendar in the context of other evidence for Erchian topography, cults and institutions, including Isae. 12 (which relates to an appeal against the deme on a decision on membership, perhaps in the context of the general deme scrutiny of 346/5 BC); the sacrifice to Zeus Epakrios on Hymettos (E59-64), notable for being extra-territorial to the deme, and discussed in the context of other evidence for this cult; and the sacrifices at Γ4-5 and 8-9 "in Sotidai", interpreted as a village (kome) within the deme Erchia analogous to the village Petalidai in Aphidna (cf. Rationes F7B, 24), and explored in the context of other possible evidence for a Trikomia (association of three villages) in this region. On the calendar in the context of discussion of the deme Erchia see also G. Steinhauer, in K. Tsouni et al. (eds.), Mesogaia, 2001, 92-93 (SEG 50.167); Humphreys. Lambert, ZPE 139, 2002, 75-82, discusses the linked set of offerings to Zeus Epopetes on 25 Metageitnion (Γ 19-25), Basile on 4 Boedromion (B 14-20), and Epops on 5 Boedromion (Δ 18-23, Ε 9-15) in the context of other evidence for the Genesia and related rites. Textual Note AIO's text follows that of CGRN with the minor adjustments from autopsy noted by Lambert, ZPE 130, 2000, 75-80 at nn. 31 and 33 (affecting inter alia the paragraphi, inscribed lines running out into the margin used to mark off the different sacrifices).[2] I.e. the same altar as the sacrifice for Dionysos on the same day: Δ 33-36.[3] "No taking away" in these three places is a later addition.